Arlington Hts. police have compiled list of recent break-ins in several suburbs
Northwest suburban police suspect a car burglar is breaking into vehicles in the parking lots of various suburban fitness centers, to steal women’s purses left in plain view.
The Arlington Heights Police Department issued a notice Wednesday saying it is investigating six vehicle burglaries on Feb. 4. They occurred between 10:15-10:30 a.m. at Elite Athletics, and from 8:15-10:30 p.m. at the Arlington Heights Park District Heritage Tennis Club, both in the 0-100 block of College Drive.
Departments in other municipalities have reported similar crimes.
In all the Arlington Heights cases, the offender or offenders broke windows and stole purses — all of which were in plain view on the front seats or on the floor behind the front seats, police said.
All the vehicles were vans or SUVs, and other commonly stolen items, like radar detectors and GPS units, were left undisturbed, police added.
An Arlington Heights detective attending a meeting of local police officials learned that other suburban departments had similar crimes, said Sgt. Mike Hernandez.
“We’re going under the assumption they (the other cases) might be related to ours,” said Hernandez, who is in the Arlington Heights investigations division.
“It looks like somebody saw purses in the morning and grabbed them and came back later in the evening and got more at a nearby center.”
No more such incidents have been reported at Arlington Heights fitness centers, he said, adding it’s unusual for burglars to break windows, and recently most car burglaries in the village have been with unlocked cars.
He urged women to leave their purses at home or hide them well.
Other suburban police departments have reported other fitness center parking lot burglaries as well:
Ÿ Palatine: Six vehicle burglaries at the Midtown Athletic Club — all involving women’s purses left in plain view.
Ÿ Des Plaines: Eight vehicle burglaries from the Lattof YMCA — women’s purses left in plain view were stolen.
Ÿ Lake Zurich: Six burglaries from the Foglia YMCA parking lot — in all cases, women’s purses left in plain view were stolen. The offender reportedly drove off in a dark-colored minivan.
Ÿ Northbrook: One burglary from the North Suburban YMCA parking lot — a woman’s purse was stolen.
Ÿ Winnetka: Five burglaries at or near the Winnetka Tennis Center — women’s purses and or bags in plain view on a front vehicle seat or rear seat floor were taken.
Ÿ Morton Grove: One vehicle burglary from outside the Morton Grove Park District Fitness Center — a woman’s purse left in plain view was take. In this case, the offender was reported driving a dark red- or maroon-colored minivan with a luggage rack on the roof. The thieves were described as having thin to medium builds and were wearing light-colored hooded coats.